Pencil sharpener



July 2, 1929.

J. J. MILLER PENCIL SHARPENER Filed April 12, 1926 INVENTOR 7 JJ/mw BY ATTORNEYS Patented July 2, 1929.

UNITED STATES JEROME J. MILLER, 01 CHADRON, NEBRASKA.

. PENCIL SHARPENER.

Application filed April 12,

. My present invention relates generally to compound tools of the character described and claimed in my Patent 1,479,921, dated Jan. 8, 1924, for a device capable of utilizing safety razor blades, whose principal function is the sharpening of pencils.

My present invention proposes a somewhat similar arrangement, which has'for' its particular function the sharpening of pencils, and which has for a further object the sharpening of pencils in such manner as to reduce to a minimum the danger of breaking the lead.

A still further object is the provision of a device of this character having means adapting the same for use as a paper cutter, as well as one wherein the pencils may be sharpened by a trimming of the wood portion of the pencil without the usual trimming of the lead. It is a well known fact that in connection I with most hand pencil Sharpeners wherein the pencil is inserted in the bore of a block or holder and rotated against. the edge of a stationary cutter, the primary cause of such frequent breakage ofthelead is the fact that the lead alon with the wooden portion of the pencil is at t e same time forced againstthe cutting edge.

In my present arrangement the lead of the pencil s not cut during the cutting of the wood, portion of the pencil, but is left 0 lining to amore orzle'ss fine point, as may be desired. I

In the accompanying drawing which illuse I tra'tes present invention and forms a part of this specification v Figure 1 isa erspective view showing my in) roved combination tool.

I igure 2 is a top plan view thereof. Figure 3 is a side elevation thereof, and, Figure 4 is an end view looking toward the entrance ofthe bores into which the pencils are inserted for sharpening in the first instance, the block being partly in section.

5 Referringnow to these figures, my invention proposes a combination tool of the type specified, which includes a body generally in the rectangular form of a blockas seen at 10, the upper surface of which is provided with a broad lengthwise channel having a flat hottom or floor 11 for the reception of a safety razor or other blade 12, the latter held in place by a cap plate 13. This cap plate is secured in place u n the blade 12 by virtue of a threaded stu rising from the block 10 at a point approximately at the'center of the from Fig. 3 in the leads of operation into cylindrical inner end extendrical or substantiallysdfor subsequent a'vduce to a'minimum 1926. Serial No. 101,495.

channel 11, the stud extending through an opening in the blade 12 and through a slot 14 of the cap plate 13, in order to receive a clamping nut 15, which bears directly upon the cap plate.

Along the sides of the channel 11 for the major portion of the length are a pairof tapering pencil receiving bores 16 which enter oneend of the body or block 10, the latter having slots in communicating with the channel at the sides in which the sharpened side edges of theblade 12 extend when the latter is properly secured upon the bottom of the channel 11 through the use of the cap plate 13 and the clamping nut 15. It will be noted particular that the axes of the are disposed at such angles relathe bottom of the channel 11, that pencils may extend in the cutting bores 16 tively to sions 17 of these bores, while the pencils are being rotated against the cutting edges of the blade 12 and it will be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 that the blade 12 as well as the cap plate 13 have side recesses at 18 disposed opposite to the inner cylindrical extensions 17 of the bores 16 so that the leads of the pencils extending into these bores cannot come into contact with any portion of the blade 12 or ca plate 13. a

bus in the operation of the pencil shar ener the wood portions of pencils alone will be cut by the side edges of the cutting blade and the leads of the pencils will be left cylindrical or substantially so in order to rethe danger of breakage. The leads may subsequently be reduced by cutting or otherwise, in order to more or less point them as may be desired and for this purpose the leads may be drawn laterally across one edge of the blade 12 opposite a transverse groove 19 formed in one side of the upper surface of the body or block 10 to receive the leads.

It is for a similar purpose that the base or lower surface of the block 10 is slightly curved to present a convex face which is knurled or otherwise treated to form a file surface 20 upon which the leads may be pointed or may be dressed and sharpened after substantial pointing within the groove 19 against the adjacent portion of one edge of the blade 12.

It will also be noted in particular from Figs l and 2 that one corner of the body or block 10 and at that end ofthe latter opposite I the entrance of the bores 16, is cut away on an an le as indicated at 21, and at such an angle as to allow for adjustment of the blade 12 to bring one corner of the blade in slightly projecting relation beyond and intermediate the ends of the obliquely or slantingly cutjects beyond the slanting surface of the block and the user may thus avoid accidental cutting of the hands and clothing.

It is also obvious that by shifting the blade 12 lengthwise as far as possible beyond the end of the block or body of the tool, it may be employed similar to a knife. By shifting the blade to present a portion of'its edge-opposite the recess 18 of the clamping plate 13, the lead of a pencil ma be sharpened in the extension 17 of one o the block bores.

I claim 1- 1. A pencil sharpener comprising a block of rectangular form having a channel extending length-wise in its upper face from end to end, defining longitudinal ribs at the sides thereof, longitudinal bores at the sides opening into said channel, a blade adjustably fitted within said channel, the opposite cutting edges of which project into said channel, side openings, said bores having reduced cylindrical extensions at their inner ends, and at a slight angle to the major axis of the bores, said bores havin their major axes inclined in said body bloc said inner cylindrical extensions having their axes substantially parallel to said' channel, the cutting edges of said blades having recesses adapted to be positioned opposite the said cylindrical extensions, and means for adjustably holding the blade in operative position.

v 2. A pencil sharpener, comprising a base block having a channel extending lengthwise of its upper face and defining a longitudinal rib at a side thereof, a longitudinal bore at the side and opening" into said channel, said bore being inclined-and having a reduced cylindrical extension at the inner end at a slight angle to the major axis of the said bore, a cutting blade removably held in said channel, the cutting edge of said blade projecting into the said channel side opening, the cuttingedge of said blade havin: a recess adapted to be positioned opposite the reduced cylindrical extension.

JEROME J. MiLLER. 

